Slicing-machine.



No.731,516. PATBNTED JUNE 23, 1903. E. F. SMITH.

SLIGING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1901.

no MODEL. l 2 SHEBTS'SHEET 1.

W witnesses. Inventor.

v Attorney.

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No. 731,516. PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903. B. F. SMITH.

SLIGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rmm JAN. 24, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

2 sums-SHEET a. Q N

Witnesses.

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Iatented June 23, 1903.

EDWARD F. SMITH, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO JOSIAH ANSTICE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SLICING-MACHINEf SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,516, dated June 23, 1903. Application filed Jla nuary 24, 1901. S ri l N i4|514- N mo el-l To (all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD FJSMITH, of-

Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slicing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the drawings forming a part of this specification and to the referonce-numerals markedthereon.

- My present invention relates to slicing-machines particularly adapted for slicing bread, but capable of use for slicing meat or any other material; and it has for its object to provide a mechanism in which the cut-tingor slicing is accomplished by a relative movement of the knife and the material operated upon and in which the cutting edge of the knife is also operated at an angle to the line of said movement of the material, so as to more readily sever the material even when it is comparatively soft and yielding-as, for instance, freshly -baked bread; further, to provide improved means for operating the movable parts whereby the slicing operation maybe accomplished with the expenditure of a small amount of power and by a movement readily accomplished by the operator. To these ends the invention further consists in means for accomplishing the said objects and in certain improvements hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cutting or slicing machine embodying my improvements; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the parts in a differ: ent position; Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view on the line to CL of Fig. 1; Fig. 4:, a horizontal sectional view taken on the line b b of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a vertical section on the line 0 c of Fig. at; Fig. 6, a section on the line cl cl of Fig. 4.

Similar reference-numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

The main frame of the particular embodiment of the invention shown consists ofa plate or casing 1, adapted to be secured to a suitable support, as to the end of a table, and provided at one end with a vertically-extending flange or side piece 2, secured in position particularly in Fig. 3.

by suitable screws 3 extending through lugs formed thereon, said plate forming with the bottom a holder for the material, such as a loafof bread,(indicated by4,) that is to be operated upon. r

5 indicates a pushing or feeding slide, movable in the side plate 2 and between the latter and the way formed by the side plate 2, adapted to be actuated toward the front of the base-plate by suitable automatic feeding devicessuch, for instance, as a flexible band 6, connected thereto and extending along the bottom thereof toward the front, the end being connected to and wound upon a springoperated roller 7, similar to an ordinary sashbalance roller, mounted in a bracket or frame 8,.secured by screws 9 in a recess formed in the bottom plate. Mounted upon. the follower or pusher 5 is pivoted a holding-catch 10, the lower end of which isadapted to cooperate with the onter or rear end of the bottom of the way to hold the follower retracted against the tension of the spring-operated roller when desired to place a loaf of bread therein or for any other purpose. The rean end of the band 6 is connected to a loop 12, adapted to be hooked over a stud or projection 13 on the rear of the slide, as shown At the front edge of the base plate or support 1 is a frame or plate 15, having a large central opening, and the upper edge 24 of which serves as a guide and support for a reciprocating carriage 20, provided at the top and bottom with bearing-blocks 21, each provided with fingers 22, extending over the guide 24:, and a slot for the reception of nuts or bolts 23, passing through the edges of the frame. The lower edge of the frame 20 is also provided with similar bearing-blocks, the fingers of which extend upwardly and behind a guide flange or way 24 formed on the lower forwardedge of the base-plate 1, similar to the guide 24:, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The frame 20 is provided with a vertically-extending portion or stop-plate 25, preferably nearly circular, and mounted at the center thereof upon a bolt 26 is a rotary disk 27, having at its edge the circular knife or plate 28, which may, if desired, be made in sections, the cutting edge extendingsubstantially in the plan eof therear face of the plate 25, as shown in Fig.4, and also very slightly forward of the plane of the face of the frame 15 and of the end of the frame 1 and the side plates 2 2 at the opposite edges of the trough, as shown in Fig. 4. At its upper portion the plate 25 is braced by an arm 38, connected to the rear end of the frame 20, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6,this arm beingoffset out of the plane of the cutting edge of the knife. The disk or wheel 27 has a bearing on a boss 29, formed at the center of the plate 25, to maintain its operation in the proper plane by affording a surface bearing removed from the stud and is also provided on its outer face with a crank-pin or stud 30, to the outer end of which is connected a crank-handle 31, by means of which the rotary cutting-knife may be operated.

32 indicates a radius-arm or link pivoted at 33 to the end of the frame 15 and at the opposite end loosely encircling the crank-pin 30 between the crank-handle and the cutter disk or wheel 27, the object of which is to imparta reciprocating motion to the frame when the disk or wheel is rotated.

Secured to the forward end of the frame 20 is an outer gage-plate or abutment 34, provided with a foot 35, through which passes an adjusting-screw 36, operating in a slot formed in a flange 37 at the lower portion of the frame, so that by loosening the screw the gage-plate may be adjusted nearer to or farther from the forward surface of the frame 15 or the outer open end of the trough into which the material to he cut is placed, to thereby gage the thickness of the slices cut by the knife.

The operation of the machine will now be understood. The material to be cut, such as a loaf of bread, (indicated by 4 in Fig. 4,) is placed in the trough or holder between the plates 2. The follower 5is drawn forward by the spring-operated roller 7, so as to hold the bread forward against the gage plate 34, (when the latter is in line therewith,) said gage-plate having been adjusted to determine the thickness of the slice it is desired to cut. The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the operator, grasping the crankhandle,rotates the cutting-knife or the wheel, hearing it upon the carriage, and the link 32 will force the carriage forward to the position shown in Fig. 2, and thereby the cuttingblade will not only be passed across the end of the loaf, cutting a slice therefrom, but the cutting edge is all the time moving rotarily, while the knife is moved bodily forward, thereby subjecting the material to a draw out at the same time that the knife is moved through it. During the cutting operation the loaf is pressed by its spring against the stopplate 25, which, as stated, is in the plane of the cutting edge of the knife and limits its forward movement. The continuation of the motion of the crank-handle in the same direction will by means of the link 32 draw the carriage back again to first position, and as soon as the edge of the knife has cleared the face of the loaf the spring-follower will operate the latter forward into engagement with the gage-plate 34 and another slice of the same thickness will be separated upon the next reciprocation of the knife -frame. It will be understood that the thickness of the slices severed can be readily altered or determined by the relative adjustment of the stop gage-plates 25 and 34.

While it is desirable that the crank-handle should be rotated continuously, and thereby cause the continuous reciprocation of the carriage, as this motion is most convenient for the operator, it will be understood that an oscillatory motion could be given said handle, say, from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, which is sufficient to cause the complete severing of the slices.

Inasmuch as only a portion of the entire periphery of the knife operates upon the material being sliced, it is only necessary to employ a segmental knife, so that for all practical purposes that segment contained between the lines 3 8 indicated in Fig. 1 might be replaced by a segmental plate the edge of which is not sharpened.

Of course other forms of mechanism for reciprocating the carriage and revolving the knife could be employed; but I find in practice that the radius-arm or link connected to the rotary knife -disk and the stationary frame is very simple and well adapted for the purpose,and while the operating-h andle could be located directly upon the crank-pin 30, if desired, I find in practice that it is better to employ the extra crank shown, as in this construction the movement of the hand follows the movement of the carriage, and said crankarm constitutes with the link or radius-arm 32 a toggle which affords a little more power at the point where power is' desirable. It will also be understood that instead of employing a knife with a smooth cutting edge the edge could be serrated or corrugated or waved after the manner of the ordinary Foster bread-knives.

Instead of the automatic feed shown the gage-plate 34 could be dispensed with and the usual or any preferred form of feeding device employed for moving the loaf forward a determinate distance, though for obvious reasons I prefer the one shown.

By the use of the term rotary as applied to the cutting-knife I do not desire to be confined to one which necessarily makes a complete rotation at each reciprocation of the carriage, for the knife employed is preferably of sufficient diameter or radius relatively to the work-holder to utilize only a portion of the periphery thereof, and also it will be understood that it is the relative movement of the knife-supportand work-holder that causes the severing operation.

By the employment'of the plate 25 and a rotary knife having its edge offset in the plane of said plate the friction of moving parts upon the surface of the material being cut is reduced to a minimum,.as the plate 25 has a short movement in contact therewith relative to the motion of the knife.

I claim as my invention- 1. In aslicing-machine, the combination with a holder and a relatively transversely reciprocatory carriage or frame having a stopplate thereon, adapted to be engaged by the material to be operated upon, of a rotary knife mounted in front of the plate and having its cutting edge extending in the plane of the plate.

2. In a slicing-machine, the combination with a holder and a relatively transversely reciprocatorycarriage or frame having a stopplate and gage-plate thereon arranged in different planes, of a rotary knife on the frame having the overhanging cutting edge extending substantially in the plane of one of said plates.

3. In a slicing-machine, the combination with a holder, an automatic feeding device therein and a relatively transversely reciprocatory carriage or frame having an inner stop-plate and an outer gage-plate thereon arranged in different planes, of a rotary knife on the frame having the overhanging cutting edge arranged in the plane of the inner plate.

4. In a slicing-machine,'the combination with a holder, an automatic feeding device therein and a relatively, transversely reciprocatory frame having the stationary stopplate, and the gage-plate on the frame adjustable relative to the latter, of a rotary cutting-knifeon the frame having the overhanging edge arranged in the plane of the stationary stop-plate.

5. In a slicing-machine, the combination with a holder, and a relatively, transversely reciprocatory frame having a stop-plate, of a rotary cutting-knife journaled on the frame and having its cutting edge offset and extending in the plane of the stop-plate.

6. In a slicing-machine, the combination with a main frame, and a holder thereon, of a relatively reciprocatory frame, a rotary cutting-knife thereon and a pitman connection between the knife and the main frame and eccentric of the knife center whereby the frame carrying the knife and the main frame will be reciprocated relatively during the rotation of the knife.

7. In a slicing-machine, the combination with a main frame and a holder thereon, of a relatively reciprocatory frame, a rotary cutting-knife journaled thereon, an eccentric pitman connection between the main frame and the knife and an operating crank-handle connected to the knife whereby the frames will be reciprocated relatively when the knife is rotated.

8. In a slicing-machine, the combination with a main frame, of a reciprocatory frame thereon, a rotary cutting-knife journaled on the frame having the crank-pin, the pitman connected to the crank-pin and main frame and an operating crank-handle connected to 9. In a slicing-machine, the combination.

with the main frame having the guides at top and bottom, of the open frame sliding on the guides and having the relatively adjustable offset stop-plates, of the rotary cutting-knife journaled on the sliding frame, the crankpin thereon, the pitman connected to the pin and to the main frame, and the crank-handle connected to the pin and extending across the center of the knife.

10. In a slicing-machine, the combination with a holder and spring-operated feeding devices for moving the material to be operated upon, of a relatively transversely reciprocatory frame, a cutting-knife pivoted on the frame, means for simultaneously operating the frame relatively to the holder and moving the knife on its pivot and a guard for preventing contact of the material with the knife in rear of the cutting edge.

11. In a slicing-machine, the combination with the holder having the plate at one side and the upper and lower guides, of the transversely movable frame operating on the guides, the rotary knife journaled. on the frame, and the pitman pivoted to the knife eccentrically of its pivotal center and to the frame.

12. In a slicing-machine, the combination with the holder embodying the base, the plate at one side and the open frame at the end having guides at top and bottom, of the transversely-movable frame guided on the top and bottom of the open frame and having the two stop-plates one in advance of the other, and a cutting-knife pivoted on the movable frame having its cutting edge arranged between the stop-plates and in line with the rearmost.

. 13. The combination with the holder and a follower movable therein, of the reciprocatory frame having the circular stop-plate, and the relatively adjustable stop-plate, the disk pivoted on the frame forward of the circular stop-plate and the circular cutting-blade secured to the edge of the disk and extending substantially in the plane of the circular stopplate.

14. The combination with the holder, the open frame secured thereto having the extension at one side and the guides at top and bottom, of the transverselyreciprocatory frame sliding on the guides, the rotary cuttin g-k nife thereon and the pitman pivoted at one end to the extension on the frame, and at the other to the knife eccentrically of its pivoted center.

EDWARD F. SMITH.

NVitnesses:

G. WILLARD RICH, WALTER B. PAYNE.

IIO 

